Wanted: Cheap drones

Sep. 19, 2013
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An MQ-9 Reaper drone. / Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt, AP

by Ray Locker, USA TODAY

by Ray Locker, USA TODAY

The military's main research agency wants to find a cheap way to expand the fleet of unmanned surveillance aircraft by eliminating some of the people who operate them, according to a Pentagon planning document.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) posted a request for information for research that would lead to "advanced autonomy and collaborative operations" for drones Wednesday. The agency's Tactical Technology Office would lead the research.

"DARPA/TTO is exploring concepts for advanced autonomy and collaborative operations that could be applied across existing, and/or new unmanned aircraft to enhance effectiveness, survivability and affordability," the document says.

Drones have been one of the military's main advances over the past dozen years, as the Pentagon and CIA have deployed them in virtually every war or crisis around the world. They have been used to attack military and terrorist targets in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and parts of Africa. A new drone base opened in the West African nation of Niger in February.

But they require individual pilots to fly them from remote locations and teams of analysts to review the photos, video and other data the drones collect. The Pentagon is already dealing with $487 billion in reduced spending over the next 10 years, as well as a deeper set of cuts called sequestration that started on March 1 and will continue unless Congress eliminates them.

The first page of the DARPA solicitation makes the need to save money clear, as they are repeated references to "reduce cost," "more affordable" and "significantly reduce O&S costs."

Greater autonomy and reduced costs could come as the expense of flexibility, military officials have said. Air Force Col. J.R. Gear, head of the service's Remotely Piloted Aircraft Task Force, told a 2010 conference that using software that allowed the aircraft to fly themselves would save pilot time and money but reduce the flexibility that combat commanders often need.